8 Tips to Sell Your Home Fast

While there are no guarantees in the housing market, there are some key strategies home owners can use to sell their property quickly.

Start with the right price

Find out how much your house is worth, and then reduce that number by 15 to 20 percent. This may feel like a risk, but it is a tried-and-true way to get fast, multiple offers on a home in pretty much any housing market.

Get the right broker – and listen to them

Play the agent field and make sure you find a broker that is informed, professional and embraces technology. Your broker should be an expert on your market, and should have many different tools at his or her disposal to get your house sold – so be sure to listen to their advice and heed their experience.

Focus on first impressions

Buyers will judge your property before they even step foot into it, so first impressions are everything. Over 80% of home buyers first view a home online, making this step crucial for getting buyers in the door. Spend some time staging the house properly and invest in some professional photography to make sure the property makes an impact online. Photos should be bright and well-composed.

Buyers want ample storage, and they will be looking through your closets and cupboards – so make sure they are tidy. Also, in order to give the illusion of more space, take out half of the items so that those spaces look less packed and cluttered.

Light it right

Open the blinds, turn on all the lights, and bring in some extra lamps to ensure that all spaces in the home are light and bright. If your house is still feeling a bit dark, increase the wattage in your light bulbs, clean the windows, and consider trimming any shrubbery outside that could be obscuring the light.

Don’t over-improve

If you are up for making improvements, focus on the kitchen and bathrooms and any needed repairs. Consider a fresh coat of paint, replace cabinet hardware, and take care of small projects; huge improvement projects typically don’t offer a great return.

Depersonalize and declutter

Buyers want to imagine themselves in the house and this is much easier for them to do if it is not full of personal items. Go through your home and remove anything that is personal to you – including family photos, memorabilia collections, pet supplies, and personal keepsakes. Clutter should also be cleared out.

If a home isn’t getting shown, it isn’t going to be sold – so keep your house “show ready” and don’t make it difficult for a buyer to come view it.

While it may seem like a no-brainer, being available to show the house at a moment’s notice will increase the likelihood of getting the property sold sooner. So, don’t leave dishes in the sink, put away the laundry, and dust with regularity. It may be inconvenient, but it will get your home sold.

You never know when a potential buyer may want to come by, and they are more likely to just cross the house off of the list if they must make an appointment way in advance or if showing hours are overly restricted.